Puppet assembly kit



July 3, 1962 s. B. sERoN 3,041,778

PUPPET ASSEMBLY KIT Filed Dec. 19, 1958 INVENTOR. Spa/voe@ 5. SEQQA/ United States Patent Olice ffilfl'l Patented July 3, i962 `and forearm for animation to amuse both the child and his playmates. A 'feature of the design is the simplicity of the construction coupled with a wide range of easily made adjustments by which the facial features and expressions of the puppet face can be varied.

Numerous puppet designs have been provided heretofore but these have been preassembled at the point of production and lack potentialities for keeping the child occupied as well as inducing the child to learn new skills in the guise of play and amusement. A great variety of devices and toys are available to keep the child occupied in a useful and educational manner but these endeavors have not been extended into the design of puppet kits suitable for assembly by children too young to use patterns and follow complex instructions. Furthermore, there has not been provided heretofore a simple, inexpensive puppet design having easily operated facilities for changing the facial features of the puppeti in addition to those accomplished by manipulation of the puppet by the puppeteer.

By the present invention there is provided a simple, inexpensive assembly kit particularly suitable for use by any child capable of managing needle and thread in simple stitching. A minimum of stitching is required to secure the parts together and are adopted with a view to providing the child with useful training in needle craft, as well as keeping him occupied while the adult in charge is otherwise engaged.

To this end, the kit includes all required components, some of which are already cut to size while others are in need of simple trimming and separation from blanks of the constituent material, these parts being left untrimmed in order to provide useful tasks for the child.

A feature of the invention lis the provision of multiple superimposed parts for the eyes and nose adapted to be held detachably `assembled to the yface of the puppet in a manner permitting an infinite variety of adjustments of the parts to vary the facial expressions of the puppet.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive puppet kit containing all components necessary for assembly of a puppet.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an educational and amusement device particularly suitable for use by children in assemblying a puppet.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and versatile puppet adapted to be worn over the hand and forearm and featuring facial components easily and readily adjusted to provide a great variety of expressions independently of manipulations by the puppeteer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a puppet having eyes and nose components formed by a plurality of differently contoured and differently colored constituents adapted to be adjusted relative yto one another to vary the facial expression of the puppet.

Another object of the invention is ythe provision of a puppet kit containing all necessary materials and components for assembling a puppet having a main body formed by three flexible sheet members adapted to be secured together along their peripheral edges to provide a puppet head and mouth.

These and other more speciiic objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

FIGURE l is a plan View of the components required for the assembly of a puppet construction made according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view showing the several components arranged iu position for assembly and indicat- Ving the points at which certain of the parts are to be secured;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a puppet assembled from the components comprising the kit; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale through the eye of the puppet and taken along line 4--4 on FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to FIGURES l and 2, there is shown a puppet kit designated generally 1i) having identical main body members 11, l2 blanked from suitable flexible sheet material. Each includes a rounded or semielliptical `forward end 13 and a wide generally straight rear end I4. The other principal component of the kit is an elliptically shaped blank l5 adapted to be folded along its minor axis indicated by dotted line I6 .to form a mouth lining for the puppet. Both the main body members 11 and 'l2 and mouth lining 15 are formed from any `suitable flexible material such as heavy fabric, knitted material, felting, sheet plastic, and other similar types of sheeting. Members 1l, 12 and l5 are preferably serrated or pinked along their peripheral edges, particularly when cut from fabric or knitted material, to prevent raveling and the need for edge turning or edge binding since these operations are `too difficult and time-consuming for children. Furthermore, the pinking adds desirably to the appearance of the finished product.

Other components of the kit include rectangular blanks of material 13, i9 and 20 having outlined thereon by any suitable marking material elliptical guides 22 along which the child is instructed to cut the material to form different size and different shaped components for constructing the eyes and the nose. Card 2l has mounted theron a pair of snap fasteners 33, 35 fashioned to form the centers of the eyes and to hold the eye components assembled, as will be explained more fully presently. Each of the eye and nose components are provided with large diameter circle guide lines 23 indicating cutouts for the passage of a snap fastener or other suitable means for holding the eye components adjustably assembly on the face of the puppet. It is pointed out that 4the centers indicated by dotted circles 23 may be left intact and employed to secure these elements to the face of the puppet by stitching or the like, if desired. However, preferably, the larger diameter circular cutouts are made to provide room for the relative adjustment of the eye elements to provide different facial expressions.

The finished components for the eyes and nose are shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 as including large elliptical blanks 25, intermediate size elliptical blanks 2.6, and small elliptical blanks 27. Nose blank 28 may be of any suitable shape such as the fiatiron configuration indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2. Each of the blanks 2,5, 26, 27 includes a large diameter opening Sill sufficiently larger than stem 32 of snap fastener button 33 as to per-mit considerable adjustment of blanks 25, 26 and 27 relative to one another. Parts 4are preferably held-in assembled position on the face of the puppet by a rounded cap member 34 having a socket 35 seating frictionally and resiliently over the enlarged resilient head of post 32. Cap 34 preferably has a shiny brilliantly colored surface providing the center of the eye and capable of reflecting light to provide `a sparkling effect characteristic of the pupil of the eye. Nose blank 2S is held assembled to the face of the puppet by a stepped snap fastener button 36 having a stem 37 passing through the fabric material at the forward end of main body member ll,

The assembly of the described components is carried out simply by placing body members lill and l2 in superimposed relation and stitching along the opposite edges as is indicated at 40 in FIGURE 3. Before stitching along the forward rounded edges of the main body members, mouth lining l5 is folded along line le and inserted between the forward ends 13, 13 of the main body members to form the mouth of the puppet. Lining l5 cooperates with the adjacent portions of the members l1 and 12 to form upper and lower jaws lll, it will be observed that stitching continues along the peripheral edges of the upper and lower jaws in a manner to secure the lining in place.

The eye and nose components are snapped in place by inserting the post of the snap fastener device through the outer covering forming the upper jaw, the insertions being made in the areas designated by crosses 43 in FGURE l. It is pointed out that the several components of the eyes are preferably colored differently to simulate the eye structure. Likewise, the components of the nose may be, colored differently and in contrast with the coloring of the body elements. Preferably the mouth lining is colored red or pink.

One of the final assembly operations comprises stitching hanks of yarn 44 to the opposite sides of the puppet head adjacent the junction of the upper and lower jaws and a t-hird harrk of yarn 46 to the top of the head rearward of and between the eyes. Another nal step concerns the insertion o-f semi-elliptical stilfening members 48 between the mouth lining 15 and the upper and lower exterior members of jaw 41, 42. Such stiifening members 4S may be `formed of cardboard, sheet plastic, or s the like inexpensive material and are contoured to tit snugly interiorly of and closely beside stitching 4b.

In use, the user inserts the assembled puppet over the hand and forearm, placing the flattened outstretched ngers between the outer covering of the upper jaw and the surface of one of the reinforcing members 48, the thumb being inserted within the lower jaw in the man ner generally indicated in FIGURE 3. The face and jaws of the puppet may then be manipulated by opening and closing the thumb and lingers and in other respects well k known to those familiar with puppets. Different facial expressions of the greatest variety can be provided with the same puppet by the simple expedient of shifting the eye and nose components relative to one another as is permitted by the resiliency of the snap fastener retainers, the parts being retained in any desired adjusted position by friction between the contacting surfaces and the resiliency of the fastener. It is also to be understood that the quick yaction Ifastener used in holding the eye and nose components adjustably assembled includes a wide variety of commercial designs currently available and their equivalents. Among these is a pin type having a pointed stud easily pressed through the components and having tight frictional seating engagement in a cooperating retainer element.

While the particular puppet construction and kit of constituent components for the assembly thereof herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A puppet assembly kit o-f disassembled components for use by children in assembling a puppet adapted to lit over the hand, said kit comprising a pair of similar elongated main `body members rounded at one end, an elliptically shaped mouth lining adapted to be folded along its minor axis and to be stitched along one half its periphery to the rounded end of one of said body members and to be stitched along the other half of its periphery to the rounded end of the other of said body members, the opposite lateral edges of said body members rearward of the fold in said elliptical mouth lining member being adapted to be stitched together to form a tubular sleeve, a plurality of discs of graduated sizes and shapes, a plurality of which are adapted to be secured to the rounded end `area of one of said body members in superimposed relation to one another to simulate the eyes and nose of a puppet, means adapted to be attached rearwardly of the eyes to simulate hair, certain of said eye and nose discs having large central openings therethrough permitting the same to be held assembled to the puppet body member and readily shifted to and retained in different adjusted positions by means of tie means passing through said openings and into an underlying portion of one of said body members.

2. A puppet Ikit -as defined in claim l wherein said eye simulating discs include means for resiliently holding said discs in assembled position on one of said body members while allowing said discs to be rotated and shifted relative to one another and frictionally retained in different selected positions to impart different facial expressions to the puppet.

3. A puppet kit `as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of sheet-like stiffening members adapted to be inserted between the mouth lining and the adjacent one of said body members with the edges of said stiffening members close to but disconnected with stitching along said rounded ends of the body members.

4. A disassembled kit of components for assembly by children to provide a puppet adapted to be drawn over the hand and forearm with the lower jaw of the puppet enclosing the thumb and the upper jaw thereof enclosing the outstretched ngers, said kit including a pair of similar fabric body members adapted to be stitched together along their opposite edges up to the junction of the upper and lower jaws, an elliptical shaped mouth lining member adapted to be folded `along one of its axes with one half stitched to the edge of the upper jaw and with the other half stitched to the edge of the lower jaw, separate stiifening members insertable Within said jaw above and below said mouth lining for reinforcing the upper and lower jaws, disc-like members having large central openings therethrough permitting said disc-like members to be adjustably secured to the exterior surface of the upper jaw in different transversely adjusted positions to simulate different facial expressions, and means passing through the openings in said disc-like members for frictionally retaining the same in any one of a large v number of different adjusted positions.

5. A puppet kit as defined in claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprises snap-action fasteners.

6. A puppet kit as dened in claim 4 characterized in the provisions of pre-bundled hanks of yarn adapted to be stitched as `a unit to one of said jaws rearward of the eyes to simulate hair.

7. A puppet adapted to be drawn over a persons hand and forearm for animation by movement of members 0f the hand, said puppet comprising a head and neck formed by a pair of similar superimposed fabric members stitched together along the lateral ledges thereof up to the rear edge of the puppet mouth, a mouth lining of generally elliptical shape having one half of its edge stitched to the rim of the upper fabric member and the other half thereof stitched to the lower fabric member, eye and nose forming components each comprising a plurality'of relatively adjustable discs of different sizes and shapes superimposed on one another and secured to the puppet face in positions representing the eyes and nose of the puppet, and snap fastener means for detachably securing said eye simulating discs detachably in place.

(References on following page) References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lamb Feb. 2, 1926 Cate Feb. 21, 1928 Passarelli May 29, 1934 

